We publish this Letter to the Editor taking Goffstown Budget Committee member Pamela Manney to task for recent comments she made during the committee’s meeting on January 15th. We encourage your comments and will publish any competing or supportive points of view. ~Publis
Manney: Will vote to raise taxes because no residents complained they were too high
While watching the January 15th Budget Committee meeting, I was absolutely godsmacked as I listened to a discussion about the increases in the budget this year and how it would impact property taxes. Pamela Manney stated she had no problem voting for the proposed budget and then made the following statement:
“If you go to a public hearing and people either say yea or nay or I like the budget or lower the budget. There’s not one person who spoke last night about taxes. Not one person said ‘My taxes are too high. I want you to do what you can to lower them.’ That would have opened the door for anyone. Last night not one person said anything about the school budget, which we did. Not one person expressed any angst at all with the budget as we presented, and you were very clear what the tax impact was and everything. Their main concern was making sure, as a matter of fact, that we kept money in for milfoil, for that transportation article as well.”
When I elect someone to the Budget Committee, I assume they understand that keeping taxes down is always a priority. I don’t know one property owner who wants to pay higher taxes. Do you? I don’t feel it should be necessary for residents to line up at a Budget Committee public hearing to make a statement about that which goes without saying.
However, since Pamela Manney seems ignorant of the fact that being prudent with taxpayer dollars is the order of the day, perhaps residents need to attend the next public hearing on January 31st (10 a.m. at the High School) to advise her of this loud and clear. I say show up in droves!
– Cheryl Anderson, Pinardville
